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Less time cooking means more time eating.
1.
An apple corer because an apple a day keeps the doctor away. If you love creating tasty apple-based treats for yourself or your littles, you’ll appreciate this corer. Once the core is gone, you can slice and dice this baby any way you like.
Promising review: “I wish I had one of these years ago because it would’ve saved me so much time! I love it for coring my apples. It’s just phenomenal and so easy. I can make a baked apple in my microwave in just a few minutes. I have arthritis, and this is still so easy to use.” —Bettina N.
Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in 18 colors).
2.
A corn cob stripper that’ll pop those kernels right off the cob. Once you’ve got the kernels off the cob, you can get busy mastering your corn salsa recipe.
Promising review: “The Chef’n Cob Corn Stripper makes enjoying fresh corn on the cob easier than ever. Its innovative design effortlessly removes kernels from the cob in one smooth motion, saving time and reducing mess. The compact size and easy-to-clean construction make this kitchen gadget a must-have for corn lovers.” —dean
Get it from Amazon for $8.
3.
A bench scraper and chopper to speed up any at-home baker’s bread-making process. It also has a convenient ruler along the edge, and reviewers love this for easily scooping up sliced veggies and dropping them into pans!
4.
A Ninja double stack 12-in-1 counter oven with the power of the oven that’ll sit right on top of the counter. Don’t believe me? This double stack goliath can ~rapidly~ cook via air fry, convection bake, air roast, whole roast, dehydrate and so much more. You can cook everything from a whole chicken and pizza to baked cookies.
Promising reviews: “I love, love it. It works great for one or two people. It saves time and energy. I love that I can make two different meals at the same time. Best invention ever. I strongly recommend it.” —Marisol Belcher
“I like it because it saves me a good amount of time I would have spent waiting for the regular oven to heat. It preheats and then starts cooking. And again, it’s heating up a small space, so it is faster than a regular oven. Since it heats a small space, it saves heating up the whole kitchen. This is good in the summertime.” —Pamela Fernandez
Get it from Amazon for $279.99.
5.
The Thaw Claw here to help you thaw out meat in under half an hour because, if you live alone, you can’t call home and have someone take the meat out in case you forget. Don’t worry, dinner isn’t ruined. It’ll just be delayed a few minutes.
Amazon
Thaw Claw is a Black-owned small biz that’s been featured on Shark Tank, HSN, and Good Morning America!
Promising reviews: “This device, with its suction base and spread design, keeps the food item under its fingers to allow the thawing process to complete in less than half the time by just putting it in the water. And before you object, ‘that’s not safe, the temperature will rise too much and promote bacteria growth’ — I have ServSafe certs. I know my time and temp levels, and those are in no way even close to approaching the danger zone unless you leave it for hours before cooking. I recommend this item for anyone, but especially anyone who has time constraints for evening dinner prep or any other time for that matter.” —mudhen7
“This thing is excellent. I make my own dog food and frequently decide to do it at the last minute. This makes life so much easier. It really does allow the meat to thaw in about 15 minutes, which speeds up browning the ground meat. Thank you for a very simple but very much needed kitchen tool!” —Jane K
Learn more about safe food thawing methods here.
Get it from Amazon for $10.95.
6.
A rapid ramen cooker, as seen on Shark Tank, that’ll let you make perfect noodles without having to boil water on the stove.
Amazon
Promising reviews: “Makes cooking ramen easier, no cover needed. Thought it was a bit expensive but it makes perfect ramen without the mess. Best texture noodles, way better than the stove.” —Rupert
“LOVED this product! I will be using it a TON! Worked exactly as advertised and you can tell it will hold up well in the future! It’s the perfect size and impossible to screw up. Made for the microwave, it has a fill line for the water and you cook it for 4 minutes. I’ve added the seasoning both before and after cooking and it made no difference for me. Solves the problem of having to dirty a pan to cook the noodles and speeds up the whole process greatly. The noodles are cooked perfectly and a wonderful texture. The pan cleans quickly and easily and then you can eat out of it!! Handy handles that don’t burn your hands. LOVED this item. An absolute MUST for the Ramen Noodle lovers out there!! BUY this, you WON’T regret it! What a useful, wonderful invention!” —Kay A
Get a pack of two from Amazon for $15.99+ (available in various multi-packs and in 11 colors).
7.
A no-touch cooking thermometer to simultaneously make sure you’re not serving under or overcooked meat while also making cleanup a breeze! No actual meat touching = no scrubbing in the sink later. Hallelujah.
Amazon
Promising review: “Wonderful…cant believe I waited this long to get one of these. speeds up the whole process.” —JoAnn Mahaffey
Get it from Amazon for $18.99 (available in five colors).
8.
A spiralizer that’s not only easy to use, but oh-so-satisfying to watch (and eat), too.
Walmart
Promising review: “This clever kitchen tool turned zucchini into spaghetti-like strings in a couple of minutes. It was fun! I boiled the zucchini strings and ate them topped with homemade spaghetti sauce.” —1SimpleCook
Get it from Walmart for $16.
9.
A nonstick meat and potato masher ready to break up and ~chop chop~ ground meat, potatoes, and other foods in a flash. It’s way easier and more efficient than trying to force another tool to do it. This is made for the *chop* and more than 46,000 reviewers agree.
Promising reviews: “Why did I wait so long to buy one of these? The same day I received it, I was making broccoli, and my hubby doesn’t like it in big chunks, so I decided to try to break up the broccoli with it, and it was SO fast and easy!! I wish I had bought one sooner!” —Jennifer139
“I’ve seen the chefs use this device and thought I would give it a try. It did speed the process up in breaking up a block of ground beef.” —Lore
Get it from Amazon for $11.82+ (available in black and blue).
10.
A set of two cast-iron burger presses you can use for all your grilling needs in these last few weeks of summer (*sobs about the impending end of grilling season*).
The set comes with one circular press and one rectangular press!
Promising review: “Bought them for smash burgers and to help cook quickly. They work great and are easy additions that speed cooking if you are on a flat top. Burgers to Bacon, they make light and fun work of grilling. They also fit inside most of my cast iron pans too.” —RAKJ
Get it from Amazon for $29.99+ (also available as individual sets and other set variations).
11.
A hand immersion blender to make your cooking smooth, literally. Perfect for smoothies, sauces, and soups.
Promising reviews: “So happy I bought this. My old one, from the thrift store, cracked. It was an oldy! This one is awesome! Blends the soup so well and fast!!!! Great find!” —Sandy Butler
“Used for the first time to speed up the breakdown of strawberries for a strawberry reduction for a cake. Did a beautiful job. I am most impressed with the weight and construction of the pieces. Great buy for the money.” —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $34.99.
12.
A rice cooker here to take over the task of making your side dish. Just throw your grains in the bowl, set it up, and let the magic of not having to do anything take over.
Amazon
Promising reviews: “For the size and price, this is a great rice cooker. I’ve been using my Instant Pot for years to cook rice, and it’s been mostly fine; however, this cooker just works better. Not only that, it comes with a vegetable steamer. Now I can use the instapot for cooking actual meat/stew and use the rice cooker along with it speeding up cook time.” —Adam S.
Get it from Amazon for $25.75+ (available in four sizes).
13.
A pair of herb scissors that’ll make Taco Tuesday prep even easier with five-blade shears ready to chop up extra onions and cilantro. Who doesn’t love extra onions and cilantro?
Amazon, amazon.com
Promising reviews: “I’ve recently tried growing some herbs on my patio and have loved using herbs in cooking. These make life so much easier. After I clean my herbs, these scissors make it easy to quickly cut them into small pieces. The design is brilliant. The plastic cover helps get herb pieces off the scissors, so there’s no waste. It’s easy to wash, too.” —Lori
“Wow, you will not regret this purchase. It’s one of those you don’t think you need, but YOU REALLY DO NEED IT. If it saves that much time, it’s worth the investment.” —KristinH515
Get it from Amazon for $9.99.
14.
A Ninja Crispi, my personal kitchen helper, that’s helped me cook at home more and more. How can you not cook at home when this nifty and compact device makes it so easy? It has four settings that allow you to make small or family-sized meals. It comes with a handy booklet with recipes and guides on settings for your favorite meals (it even has one for frozen hashbrowns, my personal fave). And when you’re done cooking, the glass cooking dish is also your Tupperware *with* lid. It got 5 stars from me and them. ⬇️
amazon.com, Amazon
Promising reviews: “It was time to replace my old, tired air fryer. I love several other Ninja kitchen appliances, so Ninja was the first company I looked at. That’s where I found the Ninja Crispi. I was intrigued by the glass cooking compartment and its unique design. It air fries my frozen fries and tater tots evenly. I also air-fried three boneless pork chops for 15 minutes, which were so juicy and perfectly cooked! The glass cooking compartment is a breeze to clean, too. I could not be more pleased with this air fryer!” —Babs
“I currently have a kitchen with no oven and a very small stovetop. This is a GAME CHANGER. I’ve used this several times today after receiving it in the mail. Made baked sweet potatoes, air fried chicken wings, air fried fish sandwiches – this thing is AWESOME. Considering getting other ninja products. I’ve been eyeing the CREAMI for ice cream and sorbet. I love this brand. Ninja 👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽 even if you get this just to reheat leftovers, it’s amazing. You won’t regret it.” —Vicky
Get it from Amazon for $159.95+ (available in six colors).
15.
A trio pan that’ll let you try out three different lasagna recipes at one time. This is an excellent find for people who like to meal prep for the week.
Promising reviews: “I love the ability to make three different types of lasagnas since I have three picky eaters. I have also used this to make three different types of cakes as well. It is so worth the money if you plan on making different dishes or just have a family of picky eaters.” —Mmperry
“There’s nothing but good coming from this pan! Yummy, crunchy edges on every piece! I made three different kinds of lasagna in this pan, and all I can say is that there were already plans for the next batch before this one was gone! This pan is heavy-duty, has an awesome nonstick coating, and will definitely stand up to much use. The recipe called for spraying the pan with nonstick spray, but it was completely unnecessary. I’ve already suggested this pan to others.” —srenee
Get it from Amazon for $19.49.
16. A magnetic air fryer cheat sheet in case you’re ready to risk it all mixing and matching to create your own air-fryer-friendly recipes. Seems like no matter how many times I make chicken, I still can’t remember what temp or time to cook chicken on. Anyone else have that problem?
Promising reviews: “For each item I wanted to airfry, I would do a search, then write down the time and temperature in a notebook. This way, having it right on the fridge beside the air fryer makes things so much easier and quicker! Very handy!!!!😁👍” —Amazon Customer
“Bought an air fryer several months ago, which I haven’t used a whole lot because it came with only a few recipes, but not enough info on other items to cook. The Lotteli cheat sheet gives you cooking times and temperatures for a lot of your common everyday foods in a magnetized, easy-to-read, two-sheet combo that fills in where the air fryer pamphlet that came with the unit leaves out. I also bought an air fryer cookbook, but this only comes with specific recipes, whereas the cheat sheet fills in the void for quick, basic needs. Very happy with this purchase! 😁” —B. Frank Smith
Get it from Amazon for $8.98 (available in two colors).
17. A rectangular lazy Susan, a simple contraption so convenient and practical you’ll wonder why you didn’t buy it sooner. Easily access your daily go-tos without having to move the ketchup and creamer out of the way several times a day. All you have to do is spin it.
Promising reviews: “TikTok made me buy it, but I’m not mad about it. This is a good-sized lazy Susan that makes it easy to see everything in it. My husband saw it and said, ‘Nope, I prefer the round one,’ then I pulled it out, and his reply was, ‘Okay, I do like this.” If it gets a pass from my husband, then I know it’s a good choice.” —Judith Melvin
“Some of these gadgets aren’t worth the $$, this one definitely is! Makes looking for things in the fridge so much easier!” —Pen Name
Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (also available in a double pack).
18. A mason jar cold brew maker here to have your *cold* cup of Joe ready when you wake up in the morning. Not a coffee person? Have no fear, reviewers also love to use this mason jar to brew their favorite iced teas or infused waters.
County Line Kitchen is a small business specializing in mason jar–style cold brew makers, pitchers, and accessories.
Promising reviews: “So much easier and faster than trying to filter the grounds out through a coffee filter. My husband still filters the last cupful at the bottom of the jar as some super fine grounds can settle at the bottom, but otherwise it’s good to go.” —sherylfog
“This has been a hit in my house. Makes the most delicious cold brew and is of great quality. Has saved a ton of money on going out and on pods I used to buy. I try to let it sit for 48 hours so I can dilute it with a little water to get it to last longer, and throw it in my dishwasher in between uses. Perfect!” —Jo
Get it from Amazon for $24.99+ (available in two sizes and four options).
19.
A dishwasher-safe garlic peeler that TBH is one of those things that you think you have in the kitchen until you buy garlic, and then you realize you don’t have it. You’ll never not need it because everything is better with garlic.
Amazon
This includes a ventilated case for storage.
Promising review: “This thing is awesome. Made of a thick, quality silicone, it feels like it’s made to last. This doesn’t feel like a cheap, flimsy kitchen tool. Plus, I like that it has a plastic box to keep it clean. I read a bunch of reviews before buying, because there are a ton of garlic peelers on Amazon for super low prices. I chose this one because I trust Oxo as a brand, have many of their other products, and they’ve lasted. Plus, positive reviews and a protective case. I’m SO happy I got this thing. I put in 2 cloves of garlic, press lightly on the countertop, and roll it, and BAM. Fresh, clean cloves ready to mince for my recipe. A great kitchen tool to simplify and speed up your process.” —Afrobella
Get it from Amazon for $9.99.
20. Or! A Dracula garlic mincer, an unserious yet super helpful kitchen gadget that’ll give you another reason to smile while making garlic bread. It’s a little ironic, too. A vampire that minces garlic — get it? 😂
Amazon
Promising reviews: “I love this little guy. Do I need him? Probably not. I did just fine with a knife before he flew into my kitchen. But he entertains me and makes me smile. Worth every penny.” —Book-Kitten
“I could not love this more! Not only is it super cute, but it also works SO WELL! I love to put crushed nuts in my salad, and it makes the work fun and fast! No more pounding the bag with heavy objects!” —Rachel
Get it from Amazon for $13.29.
21.
A KitchenAid stand mixer because….well, duh. If you’ve ever tried to bake, mix, cook, etc., without one of these babies, you know the struggle. This makes the whole putting-all-the-ingredients-together process so much easier and faster.
Amazon
Promising reviews: “I contemplated buying this for quite a while, but didn’t due to the price. My husband finally put it in the cart during sales and bought it for me. I am so glad he did! I love it. It makes the job of baking so much quicker, easier, and enjoyable.” —MNShopper
“I love that this mixer is so heavy-duty. My kids and I like to bake a lot. The way the paddle blade whips up a bar cookie dough is super fast. I like that I can lock the stainless steel bowl down and control the speed of the mixing process. I’ve yet to have a tough cookie after switching from my hand mixer to the stand mixer. The wire whisk blade also creates the most fluffy meringue, so light and airy. Once again, being able to control the speed of the whisking action has been key in this process. I also love, love, love the dough hook. I have a sourdough bread recipe that calls for a total of 6 cups of flour. Mixing it with my hand mixer was impossible, and stirring by hand was exhausting. However, this mixer’s dough blade attachment did the work in hardly no time at all. I was able to put all the ingredients together and get on with the good part of baking bread much faster and having that wonderful aroma permeate my house.” —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $379.95 (available in 20 colors).
22.
A 4-in-1 chopper, spiralizer, dicer and slicer ideal for meal prepping. You can chop onions and nuts, mince herbs, or spiralize zuchinni. And it’s compact, which makes it a great addition to kitchens with little to no counter space.
Amazon, amazon.com
Promising review: “What a time saver. I made Pico de Gallo in a couple of minutes. As for the cilantro, I placed 1/2 a jalapeno on the blades, then cilantro. Chopped beautifully. Works very well, well worth the $$.“ —Yvette Garza
Get it from Amazon for $29.99 (available in five colors).
23.
A crepe maker, in case you’ve constantly tried to make those buttery, thin, flaky sheets of utter goodness, only to be left with a burnt paper-like bready structure. It stops today!
Amazon, amazon.com
Promising reviews: “This thing is great. You can cook a pile of crepes in half the time it takes using a large pan or griddle, and it’s way easier. They’re perfectly sized and shaped, too.” —MixedProducts
“My kids love crepes, and I debated a lot if this would be worth it or not — 100% worth it! Makes crepe making so easy! I taught my kids, so now they can make their own. So happy I took a chance on it and got it!” —Jen
Get it from Amazon for $29.99 (available in seven colors).
24.
A rapid egg cooker so you can boil, poach, scramble, or even make an omelet super quickly. Now, you can finally fit breakfast into your morning routine. You’ll get picture-perfect eggs every time — just look at the pictures below. 👇🏽
amazon.com, amazon.com, amazon.com
Promising reviews: “This little device speeds up cooking of soft, medium, and hard-boiled eggs by at least 10 minutes because I don’t have to wait for water to boil in a pot first. Water starts steaming very quickly. The alarm isn’t super loud either. Put the eggs in an ice bath afterwards, and they peel easily. Comes with a measuring cup that also has a pin on the bottom to puncture the eggs before cooking. Excellent instructions, too. It also makes poached and small omelets too.” —D.G.
“This is the best kitchen appliance I have bought in a long time! Super easy and quick to use. I have a busy schedule, and I make egg salad a LOT to take with me…this saves me SO much time and effort. Set it and forget it, but the super loud, continuous buzzer/alarm will NOT let you forget it, which is a nice safety design. Takes exactly 16 minutes to boil eggs, and they are perfect. They’re also REALLY easy to peel! I’ve never peeled eggs so easily before. Huge plus that I hadn’t even considered. This little contraption is also pretty small and stores easily. Even if you only boil eggs once in a while, it’s worth it!” —Jaime B
Get it from Amazon for $17.94+ (available in nine colors).
Check out our Dash rapid egg cooker review for more deets!
25.
A double breakfast sandwich maker because yes, one would probably take up less space, but you know you’re gonna want another, so let’s not pretend. Or, you can make two because you know your partner is going to see how good yours looks, and instead of sharing, you can hand them their own.
Amazon, amazon.com
Promising reviews: “I have had this for six months now and use it all the time!!!! Need an easy supper idea…breakfast sammiches!!! Need a quick breakfast!!! Four minutes is all it takes! No more babysitting an egg on the stove and messing with a toaster hoping it melts your cheese…. I’m ordering a second one so I have one for camp and one for home!!!” —Amazon Customer
“My husband loves a great breakfast sandwich. This was fun, and quick, and gave us lots of yummy ideas. The quality was actually amazing and really elevated breakfast and lunch. High performance at a super cheap price, well worth it, and will be buying more for gifts. It’s quick to clean and stores easily away. The plates are great quality and it’s super stable. My kids love it for a quick meal on the run.” —Michelle Jurich
Get it from Amazon for $38.49.
26.
A two-basket Ninja air fryer that’ll let you cook just about anything you want from the comfort of your dorm. You won’t even miss your oven back home. With the double baskets, you can cook two different foods at the same time.
Promising reviews: “So I had the original air fryer with one compartment and I was just fine with that. But getting this opened me up to more possibilities. You can cook double the food at separate temperatures much faster. It’s got a bit of weight on it but it’s sturdy. A little quieter than I expected, too.” —UncleNahshon
“I have 3 kids and this speeds up dinner time by A LOT. It’s one of, if not the best, kitchen item I’ve purchased.” —David Garrison
Get it from Amazon for $159.99 (available in different sizes).
27.
A mandoline slicer because, despite the number of tutorials you’ve watched, cutting even, symmetrical veggies just isn’t your strong suit, and that’s completely okay.
Amazon, amazon.com
Promising review: “This mandoline has made my life a lot easier when it comes to cooking. It is incredibly sharp, can be adjusted to slice even the most paper-thin slices, and I really like the attachments for salads/garnishes/pickle making, etc.” —Angeline
“I really have enjoyed using the slicer. I do a lot of raw foods, and it certainly speeds up the process.” —Sheila Larson
Get it from Amazon for $30.
28.
A set of stainless-steel measuring cups (and spoons!) for quickly portioning off your ingredients so you can get all your ducks in a row before it’s time to combine them all for your secret marinade or cupcake batter.
Amazoamazon.com, amazon.com
Promising reviews: “Simply love everything about the measuring cups and spoons. The extra measuring markings on each cup surprised me and make my “baking time” go so much faster! Now I can free up drawer space by discarding old plastics with unreadable markings. Thank you for a great product!” —Kricket
“This is my second set. I just wanted an extra set to help speed up time on big cooking days. Love them!” —Beth
Get a 12-piece set from Amazon for $42.99.
29.
A pancake batter dispenser sure to make you the ruler of hotcake perfection. You’ll ~wow~ with your next set of pancakes, waffles, crepes, and more, as long as you get the measurements right. You can also use it to dispense cake batter, too.
KPKitchen is the small business that created this nifty contraption.
Promising reviews: “I just upgraded my pancake game!! This thing was SUPER easy and not messy at ALL!! 5/5 review from me! Get yours NOW!” —Bobbi Ocker
“I saw this on Instagram and had to get it. I am pretty much happy with the product. It’s very easy to use. Really, anyone can use it, and it doesn’t make a lot of mess. It can be a pain to clean, but just a little. Make sure to thoroughly clean. And make sure to have no lumps at all, or you will find the batter difficult to dispense. Overall, I am satisfied, and it speeds up the process.” —Jessica A.
Get it from Amazon for $24.99.
Some reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.